The Crippled God

How it opens

Cotillion, the Lord of Assassins, offers three chained dragons their freedom as his part of a bargain. Elsewhere, the Forkrul Assail Calm leaves Icarium unconscious on a hilltop, bound to the earth in chains of bone. The Bonecaster Olar Ethil comes to the camp Gruntle shares with the Trygalle company to claim Absi, the son of Onos Toolan, and walks off with the boy, the twins following. Masan Gilani reaches a battlefield where the Bonehunters met the K’Chain Nah’ruk, while Bottle wakes in the care of Captain Ruthan Gudd, and both set out after whoever is left.

Who you meet early

• CotillionCotillion walks a land of ash with Edgewalker to bargain with the chained dragons Eloth, Kalse and Ampelas. He offers them freedom, and Eloth agrees to dream for him.
• UdinaasUdinaas still lives in the Refugium, now deep in snow and hunger, as its Azath House withers. Kilava can no longer sense Rud Elalle, and she asks Udinaas to lead her people out into his world, though he is sure no place is left for them there.
• DraconusDraconus travels east with the Teblor Ublala and the Barghast Ralata, a sword in a scabbard of midnight wood strapped to his back. Ralata’s account of Onos Toolan and the T’lan Imass drives him down on one knee.
• RalataRalata, a Skincut Barghast, has lost her horse and her people. She travels east with Draconus and Ublala for now, and she means to take Draconus’s sword to kill the winged slayer of her sisters.
• GruntleGruntle, Mortal Sword of Trake, camps with Mappo, Setoc and the Trygalle company. When Olar Ethil comes for Absi he beats her to the ground, but he backs away once she calls the boy the hope of her people.
• TorrentTorrent, an Awl warrior, grieves as one of the last of his people. When the others give way to Olar Ethil, only he and Setoc are left standing between her and the children. He yields, then rides after them to ward them, asking himself what Toc would do.
• Masan GilaniMasan Gilani rides with five T’lan Imass of the Unbound, hunting for the Bonehunters’ trail. At a battlefield the Imass tell her the K’Chain Nah’ruk fed on the fallen, and asked whether Tavore lives, Beroke says only that her sword does.
• BottleBottle wakes on the plain some days after a battle, alone with Captain Ruthan Gudd. He saw the captain go down under a hundred Short-Tails, yet Ruthan has been dragging him on a travois, and now the two set out to find whoever is left.